Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has said that if reelected, he would look to strengthen security and economic ties with China, while retaining traditional allies like Australia, the South China Morning Post reported.
Promising to tap “opportunities offered through China’s Belt and Road Initiative,” he said he would retain traditional allies like Australia.
Sogavare emphasised the need to have a “pragmatic foreign policy of being friends to all and enemies to none”.
Sogavare had recently accused the “agents of Western powers” and shadowy enemies of trying to “pull down” his government.
Since Sogavare’s return to power in 2019, the Pacific nation has taken a pro-Beijing stance. He cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan to align with Beijing, and in 2022 signed a security pact with China that drew concerns from Western countries.
Last year, while addressing the Parliament in December, Sogavare said that the country was in the midst of a “geopolitical war” between China and Western powers, which were vying for influence in the Pacific region.
During the speech, he accused the US of having a “geopolitical superiority complex”, and said that the Chinese investments would help the country to lower its reliance of Western nations.
Sogavare, who is seeking a fifth term in office, controversially postponed elections which were supposed to happen in 2023. He said the country would be unable to conduct elections along with hosting the Pacific Games.
India had recently gifted a fleet of 20 buses to Solomon Islands to help bolster its public transport infrastructure ahead of the games.
Various opposition figures in the country have accused the PM and the ruling party of using China’s economic backing to strengthen its grip on power.
China has been trying to increase its influence in the region and Beijing’s clout can be gauged from the fact that recently several island nations in the Pacific have decided to sever ties with Taiwan in favour of mainland China.
